Restoration or Mutilation? New Film software enhancing 16mm film

[John Pertwee]

Using software to upscale 16mm film? Professionals are using AI networks to upscale 16mm film prints. I'm curious what some of my fellow film buffs will think. Is it tampering to take an old film and create an HD version using this software? The neural networks are a form of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to guess what pixels need to be created in order to enlarge a small image to 4K resolution. Would you be interested in seeing some of our Classic Monster Films worked on and released? I'm firmly in the camp that wants them released "as they were originally presented" but if this was included as a special feature I would watch it at least once.

Someone's used that upscaling software to enhance a 1896 Lumiere film. https://youtu.be/3RYNThid23g
The results are startling. At the end of the video you can see a side by side comparison.

[Monsters For Sale]

Some old films of turn-of-the-century street life have been real-time corrected and had faint (turn the sound down) sound effects added with wonderful results.  You can find them on YouTube.

Here is an example:  https://youtu.be/aohXOpKtns0


As far as going to far, here are a few previously posted words:  http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=34426.0

[Mike Scott]

Those are both the same video.

[Monsters For Sale]

Those are both the same video. 

Oops!  Went back and corrected it.

[Hepcat]

Using software to upscale 16mm film? Professionals are using AI networks to upscale 16mm film prints. I'm curious what some of my fellow film buffs will think. Is it tampering to take an old film and create an HD version using this software?

No. The plot, the acting, in other words the important elements remain unchanged. Not to employ the latest technology to enhance the film is like demanding easy improvements should never be made to existing cars, stereos, whatever.